Bill addressing VA care passes Senate.

Republican Sens. James Lankford and Jim Inhofe presented a bill to the Senate intended to address the care of military veterans in Veteran’s Administration hospitals. The bill passed at the end of last week.

The bill would allow the Secretary of the Veterans Administration to remove or demote an employee based on performance or misconduct. It was introduced by Lankford and Inhofe last February following reports of problems in VA hospitals in Oklahoma.

A report by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General said problems in the Oklahoma City Veterans Health Care System included a lack of stable, permanent leadership and that basic elements of patient safety programs were not consistently completed, although it noted improvements were being made.

Oklahoma Republican US Rep. Markwayne Mullin has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House.